Tanami East | Camping: Kakadu National Park | Kakadu National Park is half the size of Switzerland and a real adventure. If you rent a car, you could 

lake - Fernwayer Travel Stories & Experiences

Australia

Kakadu National Park is half the size of Switzerland and a real adventure. If you rent a car, you could drive along the road for weeks, camping in different places and experiencing nature in a way you can't anywhere else.

After leaving Darwin in a rented 4x4 jeep, we made the long drive to Kakadu National Park. Take plenty of drinks and snacks with you, as there aren't many stops on the road. Along the way, we visited several refreshing waterholes and waterfalls, had an open-air barbecue, and saw many birds, snakes, anthills, and farmland along the way.

At night we mostly stayed at campsites that provided tents, and the beauty of the night is incomparable. You can hear, smell, and see countless species of animals, from alligators swimming in lakes at night to dingoes howling, to weirdly chirping insects.

We hiked to a hidden waterfall and discovered some hundreds-of-years-old wooden paintings done by the ancestors of Australia's indigenous people. A must-see in Australia for sure!

Camping: Kakadu National Park

United States

Bolivia

Driving in the wet season in Salar de Uyuni, it feels like you are in a sailboat on the ocean - splashing in the water and watching mesmerizing reflections of the sky. It’s incredibly surreal.

The newly discovered planet Crait in The Last Jedi was set in this breathtaking and luminous salt-covered land. We stay in a gleaming Airstream parked on the salt lake, and are greeted by a salt version of R2D2 that apparently starred in the movie.

On a still day at the start of the rainy season, a thin layer of water covers the salt, forming a great mirror reflecting the sky. It’s disorienting, because you can’t judge distance or perspective. 

The Salar is so flat across its 10,000 square kilometres, that the surface is used to calibrate the altimeters on board earth’s satellites. At dusk, we watch the International Space Station slowly cruising past in the sky above us, like a bright star, and we watch lightning in the horizon all around us.

Sky Above, Sky Below

Georgia

Juta Valley is a wonderful area in Georgia near the
 Stepantsminda town. 
This picture was taken on the way to the mountain lake and it's absolutely breathtaking! I had a feeling that Iam in the movie "The lord of rings".
Must visit if you are in this area.
By the way my hobby is Film photography and this picture was made by olimpus om10, Kodak Portra 160

Juta Valley

Guatemala

‘Lake Como surrounded by volcanoes’ is how Aldous Huxley described Lake Atitlan. 

The lake is surrounded by 11 ethnic towns and villages and we rented kayaks to explore the villages. We passed several fisherman in their cayucos and saw some birds but peacefulness was the prevailing sentiment.

We met an 82 year old woman weaver and her daughter in San Juan village who use only natural dyes for weaving their huipiles. While we caught only one word in four, we enjoyed a vigorous conversation on which animal and plant dyes they use to create color.

San Pedro village had very happening cafes and bars. Guatemalan coffee is as good as the best we have had with its high elevation and warm humid climate creating a well balanced coffee.

The Tzumen ‘Ya’ Museum was interesting to learn about the culture and lake formation.

Village Hop on Kayaks

Mexico

Laguna Bacalar, a pristine lagoon in the state of Quintana Roo, just a few hours from Tulum, is one of the most beautiful places in Mexico. The place is known for its delicate ecosystem, and I recommend you stay in one of the eco-lodges and learn more about the unique flora and fauna while you're there.

Due to a complex, ancient oxygenation process, the lake's sedimentary structures shimmer in seven different blue colors, and the crystal clear water invites you to jump right in. There are several ways to explore the lagoon:
- Swimming in the tepid water
- Hiking around the lake
- Taking a sunrise tour on a stand-up paddleboard

You can easily stay 5 days in this small town, eat Mexican food, get take-out pizza, try mezcal (a liquor made from the agave), and take a free walk to the town's cemetery, small art galleries, and tiny souvenir stores. If you’re tight on time, two nights will make it as well.

Ecotourism to the 7 color lake

Myanmar (Burma)

On a foggy morning as the sun rose over Lake Inle, my boatman took me to the rendezvous point deep inside Inle Lake. Three fishermen sat in their boats with little fires to warm them up. They had promised me the previous evening to do a demonstration of their fishing technique. 

The quintessential pose of the Inle fisherman involves standing at the end of the boat on one leg with the other wrapped around his oar. Inle is a shallow lake and standing wouldn’t let they see the reeds below, they explain. Plus they use their body to propel the boat, leaving their hands free to collect their fishing net. 

Then they throw the cone-shape nets into the water, pressing on it with their foot so it sinks to the bottom where the fish are and traps them in.

One-leg Fishing

Philippines

New Zealand

Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipo, Queenstown has a well-earned reputation as an adventure capital and I succumbed to the thrill!

I always wanted to do bungy jumping so when we decided to visit New Zealand, it was a foregone conclusion in my mind that I would bungy jump. Plus AJ Hackett invented the modern version of the sport.

‘The Ledge” is right above Queenstown. It takes a gondola ride to get there. There’s a restaurant at the top from where you can watch people bungy jump  - which is a bit nerve-racking if you see someone getting second thoughts about the jump. Getting mentally prepared is the biggest barrier. 

My last thought before I flung myself off the ledge was - “This is crazy!” And then I was flying. The 154 feet jump jump took 3-4 seconds, and it was over all too soon. 

I got a certificate from AJ Hackett that says I have successfully overcome all reason and instinct. And for the following week, I thought I was invincible.

Leap of Faith

Spain

Finding a green oasis in a big city like Madrid is always a treat for the soul. The Retiro Gardens are not just any park but an elegant garden that was royal property until the 20th century.

You'll find all sorts of exciting monuments and gardens in it, including the Jardín de Vivaces, the Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez, the Rosaleda Rose Garden, and the Parterre Francés, which features a 400-year-old cypress tree (named after Montezuma, the Mexican Aztec king). 

Among locals, El Retiro has a reputation as the best place to exercise, take a Sunday stroll after lunch, or just hang out with friends and family. If you've had enough of walking (which we for sure had after 4 days in Madrid), you can go rowing on the lake in the park, or sit down and enjoy the beautiful view.
The park is also home to some excellent restaurants and cafes – during summer in Madrid, there’s nothing better than a refreshing iced tea.

Australia

Northern Territory

Camping: Kakadu National Park

Bolivia

Potosi Department

Sky Above, Sky Below

Georgia

Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Juta Valley

Guatemala

Sololá Department

Village Hop on Kayaks

Mexico

Quintana Roo

Ecotourism to the 7 color lake

Myanmar (Burma)

Shan

One-leg Fishing

New Zealand

Otago

Leap of Faith

Spain

Community of Madrid

The place to be for Madrileños